One of the biggest frustrations with using Google AdWords is not being able to track exactly which keywords are converting for you if you aren’t using exact match.

For example, if you bid on the phrase match keyword “marketing system,” you could get clicks from people searching for “buy marketing system” or “marketing system reviews.” However, your Google Analytics reports will only show that you got clicks from your bidded keyword, “marketing system.”

This is great for Google but horrible for you because if you can’t optimize your campaign by eliminating keywords that don’t convert, Google gets paid for more clicks and you make less money.

Some have tried to fix this problem with scripts and Google Analytics hacks, but most of these solutions don’t work (haven’t found any that work so far) , partly because Google keeps changing the way it’s system works. So, a script that might work today will likely stop working very soon.

Expensive third-party solutions such as Split Test Accelerator do a very nice job of breaking down your traffic sources for you. You can read my Split Test Accelerator review here. But, not everyone has $900 or the advanced technical skills needed for a solution like that.

After looking at many hosted options that even an Internet neophyte could learn how to use, I chose to test W3ROI.

After 30 days of testing, I’m confident W3ROI resolves the keyword search problem and provides a lot more value besides.

W3ROI – Analytics Made Simple

The W3ROI user interface is very slick and Web 2.0.

When you first log in, you’re presented with an easy to interpret control panel with just the essential data:

This is a welcome relief compared to the confusing dashboards you will find with some other services.

The graph shows, at a glance, how your campaigns are performing. The statistics aren’t just bare numbers, but give you some historical context (trending up or down).

By assigning a value to each conversion, W3ROI will calculate your ROI for you at:

The campaign level: If you have multiple campaigns, see at a glance which ones are performing and which aren’t.

The ad group level: If you’ve structured your PPC campaign correctly, you should have created separate ad groups for your semantically related keywords. See at a glance which ad groups need to be optimized.

The ad level: See which of your ads are generating clicks and which ones are damaging your account quality score history.

The keyword level: Stop paying Google for underperforming keywords. W3ROI shows you what keywords your prospects are really using. Use this information to create more targeted campaigns.

The only thing to keep in mind is that your cost per click (CPC) is not actual but whatever you say it is. In other words, W3ROI does not connect to your AdWords account and extract your cost per click data, so you have to enter an average.

If you combine basic statistics tracking such as what W3ROI provides with simple A/B split testing, you will be miles ahead of 99% of your competition.

Additional Features That Affiliate Marketers and Consultants Will Love

You can create and manage multiple logins with access to only the campaign reports that you specify. As a consultant managing PPC campaigns for multiple clients, this is a great value-added service for your customers.

If you do affiliate marketing, you will be glad to know you can import sales reports for in-depth performance analysis. Try doing that with Google Analytics!

You can even track offline actions such as call-ins. For instance, say you place a telephone number on your landing page. Instead of opting in to your newsletter, your prospect decides to pick up the telephone and call you. By clicking on a link provided by W3ROI, you can count that call as a conversion in your reports.

Some Minor Gripes

After about a month of use, I’ve found no reason to fault them except for three, minor details:

They need a one-screen view of your complete account structure with one-click access to any level. As it stands now, you only see 2 levels at a time. For instance, you can see your campaign name and how many ad groups it has. But, you don’t see how many ads or split tests you have running until you drill down.

They need more consistent use of breadcrumb navigation. In some setup steps, you will find yourself having to start at the top to work yourself back down to the level you’re making

They need to add a split-testing report page to their report menu. For now, you have to navigate down your campaign levels from campaign to ad groups and then to ads to access your split test reports.

These are only minor annoyances and easy to cope with. Over time, W3ROI will continue to enhance their user interface.

W3ROI – Should You Try It?

Their pricing scheme is very affordable. $24 a month has you covered for 2,500 clicks- more than enough for most B2B campaigns. The subscription plan is month to month. You can cancel anytime. They don’t lock you in to long-term service agreements like some other providers do.

W3ROI is designed to be easy to use. You can be up and running in under an hour. Their help videos show you the step-by-step process of getting your campaign set up correctly.

Not only do their reports show you exactly which keywords generated your clicks, but they also do day and hour parting for you (which days and hours of the week are converting best for you). Stop giving Google more money than you need to.

If you’ve found yourself struggling to integrate Google AdWords and Analytics, if you’re put off by high-priced Analytics services or overly-complex reports, then you owe it to yourself to give W3ROI a try. If you decide it isn’t for you, then you don’t pay a dime (30-day money back guarantee).